Arne Slot should reverse Liverpool transfer decision to solve two squad issues
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Some £440m was spent last summer and so far the return on that investment has been poor.There is widespread acknowledgement that the Reds must vastly improve the depth of the their squad if they are going to be a force again next season and when it comes to the full-back positions I believe theycould do a lot worse than look to bring a former academy graduate back into the fold.Neco Williams left Liverpool for Nottingham Forest in 2022 and was fortunate enough to do so with a Premier League winner's medal in his pocket, albeit he only made six league appearances as a youngster in the 2019/20 season under Jurgen Klopp.After spending half a season on loan with Fulham, he signed a four-year contract at the City Ground and has gone on to not only establish himself as a first-team regular but also a full Wales international.It is rare that I would advocate for bringing a former player back to Liverpool, but his output for Forest (in what has been a difficult season) has made me sit up and take notice.The consistency of his performances comes with a testimonial, too. He has been Mr Consistent for Forest.
His performances have been at a high level week in, week out and he can always be relied upon to give 100 per cent."He has certainly been Forest’s most consistent player during what has been somewhat of a tumultuous campaign and he is very much in the running to be crowned their player of the season."Defensively, he rarely puts a foot wrong and will get stuck in with tackles. He’s exactly the type of player and person you want in a dressing room."A look at Williams' high-level statistics in the Premier League this season backs up the notion that he has had an impressive campaign and that viewpoint is only enhanced when you compare some of his key metrics to Kerkez's first season at Liverpool.Williams has made 32 appearances so far this campaign, with Kerkez on 29.
The Reds' left-back has committed 19 fouls compared to Williams' 26, has one fewer bookings with four and unlike the Forest defender, hasn't been sent off this season.I've dug a little deeper into the numbers than I was planning to with this comparison, and the point of this article is not to replace Kerkez, but to make a case for bringing Williams back into the Anfield fold.But while the 25-year-old's excellent season at Forest suggests to me that it might be a good idea, let's remember that he has delivered these numbers was spending the majority of the season playing out of position."He has been a regular at left-back for Forest, although he has switched over to the right when required," said Clapson. Since he joined Forest in 2022, he has made huge strides."With his quality and his personality, he has got the attributes to do well anywhere.